Hands Off Our Health Care

Governor's Proposal

The governor’s proposal to underfund the health insurance you receive through the state’s Group Insurance Commission plans will shift health care costs to YOU and your fellow public sector workers by raising out-of-pocket insurance costs. This ultimately will affect ALL public sector workers, regardless of GIC coverage.

Governor Healey is considering possibilities such as:

• Increasing medical deductibles by $250 for a
  single plan or $500 for a family plan.
• A 50 percent increase in various copays,
  including for visits to emergency rooms and
  urgent care centers.
• Eliminating coverage for GLP-1 drugs when
  used for weight loss.

Additional cost increases are posted here.

THIS IMPACTS EVERYONE

Nearly 500,000 public sector workers and retirees are covered by GIC plans, including tens of thousands of MTA members and their families. Even if you are not directly covered by GIC health insurance, municipalities and towns often follow the GIC’s lead. If GIC costs increase, health care costs likely will increase for every insured public employee in Massachusetts.

HEALTH CARE COSTS ARE ALREADY TOO HIGH

Public workers already are stretched to their financial limits. For decades, educators, firefighters and other public servants have been asked to do more with less. Families have already been hit with double-digit increases in insurance premiums. The proposed health care increases are an unethical and untenable burden on all public workers who serve the Commonwealth.

HELP STOP THESE UNFAIR COST INCREASES

Over the coming weeks, the GIC will deliberate and decide how much to increase YOUR health care costs. We need everyone ready and willing to take action to stop this unfair cost shift for public employees. Here is the GIC’s timeline.

• January 27 – noon and 6 p.m., GIC listening sessions.
• January 29 – 9 a.m., GIC listening session.
• February 12 – GIC meeting and vote.

• February 26 – GIC meeting, and vote if it has not yet been taken.

Key Resources

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• Get answers to questions about the governor's proposal to increase health insurance for public employees.

TEMPLATES: WRITE A LETTER TO THE GOVERNOR

• For Union Presidents in GIC Districts
• For Union Presidents in Non-GIC Districts

SCRIPTS FOR TEN-MINUTE MEETINGS

• For Unions in GIC Districts
• For Unions in Non-GIC Districts

OVERVIEW OF PROPOSED CHANGES TO GIC INSURANCE & PLANS TO FIGHT BACK

Download

Two ways to Take Action

 

1. Email Governor Healey, GIC Chair Valerie Sullivan and your state legislators, demanding that they protect the health care you and your family rely on.
   
   
2. Sign up for one of three listening sessions being held by the GIC in January. Let them know that we are paying attention! Meetings are on Jan. 27 & Jan. 29. Register at mass.gov.